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Celebrating Illustration, Design, Cartoon and Comic Art of the Mid-20th Century

The Countdown to Christmas Continues... with "Bad Santa"

Wednesday, December 07, 2011

Today's Santa is a squeaky-clean grandpa figure thanks to decades of Rankin-Bass Christmas specials and the combined efforts of the mass media, toy manufacturers and retailers, and the packaged food and beverage industry ("Hellooo Coca-Cola!")

Of course DWishR. That's why we of a younger generation find them so amusing. I think we all appreciate that we're living in increasingly PC times. Seeing these ads from the days when smoking was encouraged by a children's icon are (dare I say it?) a breath of fresh air! ;^)

I always love these posts, Leif. Today, Santa is so child-centric that you'd never find him smokin' and hangin' out with the lovely ladies unless it was an outright parody.

These ads, indeed, are children of their times - just as the children ground into bird feed in the 19th century kids' book "Max Und Moritz" was "classic children's literature" back in the day, however horrific it seems to us now.

In these ads -- Santa looks more Falstaff than Saint Nick. Look at the lanquid gleam in his eye when ogling the half-dressed beauties. And, actually, they probably have more truth than any excitement over a Coke on the mantle. I bet Santa's been delayed a few times in his nighttime prowls down the chiminey by the lady of the house in her holiday nightie. And why not? The kids are dreaming of sugar plums and Dad is exhausted by the toy he spent hours assembling. Why shouldn't the lady have a litte fun at 3 am with a harmless and energetic stranger?